Lead Headlines

June 10, 2007

Barron Lake water back on the level Last summer, Howard Township's Barron Lake was so shallow that Emery Hirschler had 50 feet of sand beach in front of his lakefront home. One year later, the lake is three feet deeper and Hirschler's beach is a lot smaller -- thanks to an $86,000 electric well that pumped furiously for 362 days last year. "Three feet in water height, on a 230-acre lake -- that is one incredible amount of water," says Cass County Drain Commissioner Jeff VanBelle, who directed the plans for the well. B1Online ministry targets Web porn addicts Brian McGinness had an insatiable appetite for porn. Day after day, for more than eight years, he spent countless hours surfing the Web for it, usually on a computer that he used after business hours at his old job. Because of his compulsion to view porn, McGinness spent more time away from home, lied to his wife about having to work overtime in the evenings, felt guilty about what he was doing, spent less time with his children but he felt unable to control himself. All that started to change after he attended a breakfast of "Porn and Pancakes" organized by XXXChurch.com, an online ministry created to get Christians talking with church officials about their X-rated addictions. B6BUSINESSHow to keep summer electric bills in check With the official start of summer just around the corner, experts are reminding consumers about the importance of keeping their energy use under control. And there are ways to do it without sacrificing comfort. E1